Method for purifying air for breathing



' March 28, 1939.

M. 1.. MYERS ET AL ,792

METHOD FOR PURIFYING AIR. FOR BREATHING Filed Nov. 2, 1935 V 0 P 0 35 32 ialflpboo INVENTORJ' A9. W

BY Md gd gj & z

@m, M ATTORNEYS- Patented Mar. 28, 1939 2 1 LINETEQ STATES .PATENT QFFECE METHOD FOR PURIFYING AIR FOR BREATH- ING Myron L. Myers, Elizabeth, N. J., and Edwin J. Morris, Richmond County, N. Y.

Application November 2, 1935, Serial No. 48,058

6 Claims. (Cl. 234) In order that the present development to the pound and does not prevent metallicpoisoningbut known art may be realized, a brief summary is the soda lime is used primarily for the elimination herein included of those methods now in vogue of carbon dioxide and the absorption of moisture. relating to persons employed, exposed to, or in Experience has shown that the mechanical or contact with, volatile metallic poisons and metals type 2 gas masks or respirators commercially 5 or metallic dust in solution or suspension, or comavailable are to be used for light concentrations pounds thereof as in gases, fumes, liquids or other of noxious metallic fumes. These are to a degree metallic volatile compounds, eifective for the elimination of carbon dioxide The present methods for the prevention of fumes but are ineffective for the prevention of in metallic poisoning through inhalation of noxious metallic poisoning when used in the presence of metallic poisons, either as a metal, as compound, noxious metallic vapors, gases, fumes, liquids or or in suspension, or liquid suspension, have relied metallic volatile compounds.

upon the use of various types of so-called gas Our invention, in view of the experience We masks and respirators. have had with the above outlined commercial These may be generally classified as follows: typ s W o t e market, relates t0 the novel use 15 1. Pump or air type in which fresh'air is supof phosphates for reaction With noxious metallic plied from external source to the person or perfumes in large or small amounts, whether in volasons exposed to the noxious metallic fumes, gases, tile metallic state or as soluble metallic comval ors, liquids or other metallic volatile compo n l quid or gase us Suspensionpounds. The invention will be described with reference 20 2. Respirator type which is a gas mask with a to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a container containing a carbonaceous filter which, vertical elevation, pa y in Section, of a mask as is well known to the art, is porous and allows canister embodying t on; and Fig. 2 a the gas to pass through to the respiratory organs. cross-sectional view through a canister for as- During the passage of the gas laden air through s on wi a r p 25 the carbonaceous filter some of the metals in The efficiency of the use of phosphates for the suspension in the metallic fumes, gases, or vapors pr v n ion f me lic poi o y inhalation of by mechanical action may or may not be lodged noxious metallic vapors, fumes, gases, liquids or on the surfaces of the pores of the carbonaceous metallic volatile compounds is based upon the filter, chemical reaction of said noxious metallic vapors, 30

It is a Well known fact that the use of gas fumes, gases, liquids or volatile metallic commasks of the pump or direct ventilating type (1) pounds with said phosphates so as to render them are limited in their application and to the wearer insoluble and thereby be retained upon and/ or thereof due to the difficulty of breathing and the Within a suitable container or filter.

efficiency of the wearer is decreased together with By Way of illustration, the following chemical 35 the work impeded due to the cumbersome and reactions are cited: discomfortable equipment necessary. (1) szno plus 2Na2HPO4 plus H2O yields Type 2 (masks and respirators) depending Zll3(PO4)2 plus NaOH. michamcal e s Chemlcal f 2) 3ZnO plus 2NaaHPO4 plus 51-120 yields the llOXlOLlS metallic iumes must necessarily be Z (PO) 4H 0 1 4N OH 40 large in capacity because of the canister or conn3 4 2 p us a (3) 3Zn0 plus 2NaaI-IPO4 plus 9H2O yields tamer of activated charcoal or carbonaceous material and therefore since these are suspended Zn3(PO4)2'8H2O plus 4NaOH' (4) ZnO plus 2NazHPO4 plus 31-120 yields from the face of the user, are uncomfortably ln- ZnH4P2O8 H2O plus 4NaOH convenient and in most cases ineffective for the (5) 2Zn0 plus 2Na2HPO4 plus H2O prevention of metallic poisoning. 21,121,207 p1 u s 4NaOH Experience has shown that the two types of masks commercially available for the removable ese eac s are Cited as yp and t is of noxious metallic fumes are based on the use n our p p to limit this invention to these of activated charcoal, mechanical filters, such as mp u ds ut t include l reactions with all 50 pumice, sponges, cotton felt or cellulose pads to other noxious metallic vapo s D lm S- which may be added chemical compounds, name- Thus, lead, mercury, etc., as vapors or volatile ly, soda lime, etc. As is well known to the art compounds, in suspension or solution react with soda lime does not react with the metallic fumes, the di-sodium (secondary) phosphate and other vapors, gases, liquids or metallic volatile comphosphates, to produce insoluble metallic phos- 55 yields phates as may be realized by those skilled in the art.

We prefer to use neutral secondary di-sodium, di-ammonium, etc., phosphates for this purpose. We impregnate thin layers of cellulose or cloth with one or the other above mentioned phosphates which are then installed in a suitable light respirator mask fitting tightly over the nose and mouth so that the wearer inhales through the above phosphate saturated filter and exhales through a suitable check valve. It has been found that the use of closely Woven textile fibre cloth or cellulose of Guam. thickness saturated with a strong solution of di-sodium or .di-ammonium phosphate is effective for a period of direct exposure to dense zinc, lead or other metallic fumes, gases, vapors, liquids or metallic volatile compounds, for a period of many hours. 'It is obvious to the art that the presence of moisture is necessary for the effectiveness of the phosphates.

It is not our intention that these phosphates be considered for the fireproofing of any carbonaceous filter materials since such is well known to the art. Furthermore, as may be seen by referring to the typical reactions cited for metallic vapors with phosphates'the amounts of phosphates used must necessarily be present in relatively large amounts in proportion to the suitable carrier media such as cellulose, cloth, asbestos,

' pumice, sponge, etc.

As we mentioned above the fundamental principle of this invention is based upon the formation of insoluble phosphates by the reaction of the metallic vapors in suspension as oxides or other compounds, With phosphate impregnated screen or other inert carrier media, wherein by a combination of the chemical and mechanical reaction these poisonous metallic vapors are entrained and/ or absorbed.

Other than the above suggested method of this invention there are many adaptations such as the use of solid phosphates in a suitable container for removing poisonous metallic fumes, vapors, gases, liquids or metallic volatile compounds, siliceous and other materials by absorption, chemical reaction, therewith and thereon, and by mechanical action. Thus it will seem obvious that it is possible for the use of mask or respirator device of any type which may depend for their efiiciency upon the use of various phosphates for the removal of not only metallic poisons in solution in suspension as compounds or as metals or combinations thereof or suspended siliceous materials or other materials organic or inorganic.

The application of the invention to apparatus as referred to hereinabove is illustrated in the accompanying drawing. Fig. 1 shows a gas mask canister l of conventional form provided with air inlet and outlet openings 2 and 3 each provided with check valves, not shown, of any suitable form, such as those now known in the art. Disposed between screens 4 mounted within the canister is a body 5 of granular material in accordance with the invention, such as pumice or the like impregnated with, as described hereinabove, a soluble secondary phosphate. Fig. 2 represents a form of canister commonly used with respirators. It comprises a casing member I connected by a crimped ring 8 to the respirator body 9. The side wall of casing I is provided with screw threads which receive a complementarily threaded canister 6 having perforated top and bottom members l0 and H, respectively. Disposed within the canister is a member I2 in the form of woven cloth disposed between screen members l3. Cloth I2 is impregnated with a soluble secondary phosphate as described hereinabove. In this device the air enters through top member l0 and after passing through member l2 passes through the bottom member II and thence through ring 8 into the respirator body. Members l0 and 8 thus act, respectively, as air inlet and, outlet openings. In the use of both forms of apparatus, as will be seen, all of the air passing into the face-piece is compelled to pass through the phosphate thus removing noxious materials as described hereinabove.

We claim:

1. That method of treating air vitiated by vapors or fumes of material of the group consisting of metal or metal compound, to render it fit for breathing, which comprises passing said vitiated air into contact with a moist soluble phosphate and thereby removing said material and rendering the air fit for breathing.

2. That method of treating air vitiated by vapors or fumes of material of the group consisting of metal or metal compound, to render it fit for breathing, which comprises passing said vitiated air into contact with a moist soluble alkali metal phosphate and thereby removing said material and rendering the air fit for breathing.

3. That method of treating air vitiated by vapors or fumes of material of the group consisting of metal or metal compound, to render it fit for breathing, which comprises passing said vitiated air through a mass of moist soluble phosphate supported on an inert carrier.

4. That method of treating air vitiated by vapors or fumes of material of the group consisting of metal or metal. compound, to render it fit for breathing, which comprises passing said vitiated air through a mass of moist soluble alkali metal phosphate supported on an inert carrier.

5. That method of treating air vitiated by vapors or fumes of material of the group consisting of metal or metal compound, to render it fit for breathing, which comprises passing said vitiated air through a mass of moist sodium phosphate supported on an inert carrier. 6. That method of treating air vitiated by vapors or fumes of material of the group consisting of metal or metal compound, to render it fit for breathing, which comprises passing said vitiated air through a mass of moist disodium phosphate supported on an inert carrier.

MYRON L. MYERS. EDWIN J. MORRIS. 

